Saint Zita of Lucca

Saint Zita of Lucca

Another Saint of the Day for April 27

Saint Zita of Lucca’s Story

Zita is a good saint for those of us who sometimes lose a chance to do some good by waiting to do something better.

Saint Francis of Assisi was still living when Zita was born to poor, devout Italian parents. From the age of 12 until her death, she worked as a servant for the Fatinelli family in Lucca. She was a hard worker, pious and generous. Although that dedication provoked jealousy on the part of some other servants, Zita won them over by her patience.

As the years passed, she became famous for helping the sick, the poor and the imprisoned. She was regarded locally as a saint soon after her death; that title was officially given to her in 1696. Zita is the patroness of domestic workers.

Reflection

“You can’t take it with you,” we say. Yet, often, people are afraid to perform the corporal works of mercy because they fear depleting their resources—time, money or energy. Zita is honored as a saint largely because of her charity. She might have compared herself with others having greater resources and excused herself from aiding Christ’s poor. She lived out Jesus’s story about the widow’s mite (see Luke 21:1-4).

Saint Zita of Lucca is the Patron Saint of:

Domestic Workers
Maids
Servants

From Fr. Don Miller, OFM

Fr. Don Miller is a Franciscan priest of Saint John the Baptist Province with a varied background. He has worked in the domestic missions in the Southwestern USA, taught at the university level and served as a campus minister. He also has experience in professional counseling, and served as the Vocation Director of his province.

He has been a friar for 50 years and a priest for 44 years. He earned a PhD in Moral Theology from The Catholic University of America.

More from Franciscan Media

Sponsored Ad

Mission

Franciscan Media seeks to spread the Word that is Jesus Christ and to help you grow closer to God in the spirit of St. Francis.